The Patton Army Vehicle Association (P.A.V.A.) is a French Loi 1901 type of association which was created on May 3rd, 1989 at Fontenay-Le-Vicomte (France) by Mr Patrick NERRANT, together with several fans of history and mechanics, with a view to acquiring, restoring and presenting before the public vehicles of the Liberation period to save them, due to their historical, technical and industrial interests.

These materials have been acquired near the French Services des Domaines, which is the service of Public Properties, near scrap merchants, or further to import procedures, have been needing investment and an intensive job in order to become the owner and to have them restored, as well as to obtain certain administrative authorizations.

Always eager to pursue its action towards the preservation of the automotive patrimony of the Liberation and of the presentation of such materials to the public, more particularly to the younger generations, the Patton Army Vehicle Association attends parades that commemorate the Liberation of the cities of France as well as in the European Union, on a regular basis.

The Association’s name has been selected in order to pay tribute to the Veterans of the American 3rd Army under General George S. PATTON’ command who liberated the south of the Essonne French department between August 19th and August 28th, 1944.

The Association counts around fifteen members and around fifty vehicles of the Liberation period, among which :

- Harley Davidson

WLA modèles 1941, 1942 et 1944

- Hotchkiss

JEEP M 201

- Willys Overland Motors Inc.

JEEP MB

- Ford Motor co.

JEEP GPW

- Dodge Brother Corp.

WC 51, 52, 54, 56 (…)

- General Motors Truck

CCKW 352 et 353

- White Motors Co.

Scout car M3 A1

- International Harvester Co.

Half Track M5

- Detroit Tank Arsenal Chrysler

Sherman M4

- Cadillac Motor Car Division

Chaffee M24

- Fisher Tank Division GMC

Tank Destroyer M10

- Ford Motor Co.

M8 Greyhound

- Locomotive Works Montréal

Sexton

- Ward la France

Wrecker M1